Every argument about who is really the best driver on the grid ends up at the same place: the points table. Formula 1’s scoring system is simple at heart but has a few wrinkles — sprint points, shortened races, the rules for breaking ties — that decide championships more often than you would think. This guide covers all of it.

Points for a Grand Prix

The top ten finishers in every Grand Prix score points on the following scale:

  • 1st: 25 points
  • 2nd: 18 points
  • 3rd: 15 points
  • 4th: 12 points
  • 5th: 10 points
  • 6th: 8 points
  • 7th: 6 points
  • 8th: 4 points
  • 9th: 2 points
  • 10th: 1 point

The scale has been in place since 2010 and is deliberately weighted towards winning: the gap between first and second (seven points) is bigger than the gap between second and fourth. A driver who wins one race and retires from the next still comes out ahead of a driver who finishes second twice — a design choice that rewards taking risks for victory.

The fastest-lap point has gone

Between 2019 and 2024 a bonus point was awarded to the driver who set the fastest lap of the race, provided they finished in the top ten. That rule was scrapped from 2025 after teams grew tired of the tactical games it encouraged — late pit stops for fresh soft tyres purely to steal a point from a rival. If you see older results with a “+1” for fastest lap, that is why.

Sprint points

On sprint weekends, the Saturday sprint race awards points to the top eight finishers: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. These count towards both championships exactly like Grand Prix points, which makes a sprint weekend worth up to 33 points to a driver rather than the usual 25.

How constructors’ points work

The constructors’ championship — the team title — is calculated by adding together the points scored by both of a team’s drivers in every session that awards points. There is no separate scale. A team whose drivers finish first and second in a race collects 43 points; a team with a win and a retirement collects 25. Constructors’ position determines the sport’s prize money distribution, which is why teams fight so hard over what looks like a meaningless tenth place late in the season.

What happens when a race is cut short

Since 2022, points for a shortened race are scaled by how much of the scheduled distance was completed, and the leader must have completed at least two laps without a safety car or virtual safety car for any points to be awarded at all:

  • Under 25% of the distance: points to the top five only (6-4-3-2-1)
  • 25% to 50%: points to the top nine (13-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1)
  • 50% to 75%: points to the top ten on a reduced scale (19-14-12-9-8-6-5-3-2-1)
  • Over 75%: full points

The rule was introduced after the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, when half points were awarded for a “race” run entirely behind the safety car.

Breaking ties

If two drivers finish the season on equal points, the championship goes to the driver with more race wins. If they are still tied, the countback continues to second places, then third places, and so on. The same countback applies to the constructors’ championship and to every position in the standings, not just first. It has rarely been needed for the title, but it decides midfield positions — and the prize money attached to them — almost every year.

How points decide a title mathematically

A driver clinches the championship when their lead exceeds the maximum points still available to their nearest rival. With 25 points per Grand Prix and 8 per sprint, working out the “magic number” late in a season is simple: count the remaining races and sprints, multiply, and compare. It is why late-season coverage obsesses over whether a lead is above or below that threshold — and why a single retirement can reopen a title fight that looked settled, as we discussed when asking whether the 2026 championship was over.

Frequently asked questions

How many points does an F1 race winner get?

25 points, with 18 for second and 15 for third, down to one point for tenth.

Is there still a point for fastest lap?

No. The fastest-lap bonus point was removed from the 2025 season onwards.

How are constructors’ points calculated?

By adding together everything both of a team’s drivers score in races and sprints.

What happens if two drivers finish level on points?

The title goes to the driver with the most wins, then the most second places, and so on.